How much water should you drink per day?
Fun fact: 70- 80% of your body is water.
The common belief that you need to drink eight 8 glasses of water a day to stay healthy and hydrated may be one of the biggest health myths out there.
While drinking water as your primary beverage is undoubtedly one of the most important cornerstones of health, there’s a misconception that you need to be chugging down water all day to stay well. In fact, a report from The National Academy of Sciences concluded that most Americans are not walking around dehydrated on a regular basis. They noted, “The vast majority of healthy people adequately meet their daily hydration needs by letting thirst be their guide.”1
The report added that while 80 percent of Americans’ total water intake comes from water and other beverages (including caffeinated beverages like coffee, which do “count” in your total fluid intake, contrary to popular belief), 20 percent comes from the food you eat.
In my personal opinion drinking beverages including coffee, tea and juice does NOT count as total water consumption. My reasoning is where in nature would a hunter gather be drinking coffee, tea or juice to the degree that people drink it today? One or two per day. They wouldn’t. No where in nature would they have been drinking this. Coffee didn’t exist until the 1500s. Tea has been used for generations which one could argue is closely linked to ancient cultures - fair call. But hunter gathers society…hmmm maybe. Juice certainly does not count. As it’s only been in the recent history people juice.
So the body’s primary source of water comes from this thing called water.
But does a 50kg woman and a 100kg man need the same amount of water? No, of course not.
With my clients I suggest a simple rule. Take your body weight in kilograms and times it by 0.033. This will give you how many litres per day to drink. Now if you exercise you will need more water. So to answer your question, how much water should you drink per day. Follow the formula.
BW x 0.033 = L per day.
For example, a 100 kg male x 0.033 = 3.3 litres per day.
Remember water is water. Not juice, coffee or tea. A great way to make sure you stay hydrated is carry a bottle with you, preferably stay away from plastic and transition to a glass or metal bottle as these materials do not leach toxic chemicals into your water.
If you found this post informative, stay tuned, in my next post I question the myth that bottled water is better for you then tap water. You might also enjoy the free infographic I created for you called “ Organic vs Commercial food. Which is better for you?”. Check it out at www.primalmove.com.au
References:
- The National Academy of Sciences February 11, 2004
- Batmanghelidj F., Your Body’s Many Cries for Water. 1992.